Montenegro awaits for the UK’s croupier champ

Slawomir Workun has been named the best croupier in the United Kingdom, beating off competition from 23 other finalists to claim the £2,000 prize and earn the right to represent the UK in the European Dealer Championships (EDC), set to be held in Montenegro on May 7-9.

Hosted by Caesars Entertainment and held at its Sportsman Casino in London, points are awarded to contestants on their technical skills, control of the game and hospitality at the all-day event.

Second placed Shaun Kelly, from Les Ambassadeurs, who claimed a £1,000 cash prize, is also set to make the trip to the EDC.

Polish born Workun, who has worked at The Sportsman for ten years, was celebrating a ‘home win,’ and spoke to TotallyGaming.com about the changing face of the industry over the course of the last ten years, which has seen a greater emphasis placed on hospitality: “Customers are looking for the experience, people that gamble on a weekly basis know the chances of them winning, they want the interaction and the experience.

“Sometimes on the table you are like a barman, they will tell you what is going wrong at home or with their business, and you have to be able to listen to them and police the game.

“People want interaction. Nowadays is completely different, when I first started you couldn’t shake hands with a customer but now people feel special and they come back because they know we appreciate their custom.

“The hospitality has changed so much in the last ten years. We have so much competition from online and it’s so easy to jump on your phone or your laptop. People are hit from every single angle, and the only reason to come here is the human aspect that they won’t find anywhere else than the casino.”

It is estimated that there are 10,000 dealers across the UK’s 148 casinos, meaning that the few who make the final represent the top 0.25% in the country.

Totally Gaming says: With such a large volume of dealers littered throughout the UK, to be amongst the top quarter percent is an achievement in itself. Workun has embraced the changing faces of the industry, placing a focus on the perfect customer experience, and will now hope to build on his success when he travels to the Balkans later this year.